Poinsettia plant named &#39;EURZ0003&#39;

ABSTRACT

A new Poinsettia plant named ‘EURZ0003’ particularly distinguished by the distinct dark pink bract color, dark green foliage, and medium to strong vigor with good branching and strong stems.

Latin name of the genus and species of the plant claimed: Euphorbiapuicherrima

Varietal denomination: ‘EURZ0003’

BACKGROUND OF THE NEW PLANT

The present invention comprises a new Poinsettia, botanically known asEuphorbia puicherrima, and hereinafter referred to by the variety name‘EURZ0003’.

‘EURZ0003’ is a product of a naturally occurring mutation. The newcultivar has dark pink bract color, medium size inflorescences withbracts a little upright directed, dark green foliage, and strong vigorwith good branching,

‘EURZ0003’ originates from naturally occurring mutation discovered amonggreenhouse plants of the parent variety ‘Fismars 339’ (U.S. Plant Pat.No. 21,054) in fall to winter 2009.

A greenhouse crop was developed from the first mutated plant andevaluated for its different bract color. These plants were multipliedseparately and examined during next fall-winter flowering for uniformityand stability of the new combination of characteristics.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF INVENTION

Horticultural examination of plants grown from cuttings of the plantinitiated in April 2010, and continuing thereafter, has demonstratedthat the combination of characteristics as herein disclosed for‘EURZ0003’ are firmly fixed and are retained through successivegenerations of asexual reproduction.

‘EURZ0003’ has not been observed under all possible environmentalconditions. The phenotype may vary significantly with variations inenvironment such as temperature, light intensity and day length.

A Plant Breeder's Right for this cultivar was applied for in theEuropean Union on Dec. 17, 2015 and assigned No. 2015/3056. ‘EURZ0003’has not been made publicly available more than one year prior to thefiling of this application.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe basic characteristics of the new variety. The combination of thesecharacteristics distinguishes this Poinsettia as a new and distinctvariety.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying photographic drawings show typical flower and foliagecharacteristics of ‘EURZ0003’ with colors being as true as possible withan illustration of this type. The photographic drawings show floweringpotted plants of the new variety. FIG. 1, taken on Nov. 27, 2015 shows aview of the bracts from the top of plant, on a plant about 21 weeks old;FIG. 2, taken on Nov. 27, 2015, shows a side view of the same plant.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The measurements were taken in Enkhuizen, the Netherlands in endNovember 2015 on 21 week old plants growing in a greenhouse. Culture ofthese plants had started in late June 2015 with planting rooted cuttingsin 19 cm pots and terminal pinching about 2 weeks later. The plants weregrown under natural day light in the fall (no black cloth to initiateearlier flowering) and at the moderately warm temperature of 18° C. forthe bench heating. No use of PGR.

Color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society ColourChart (R.H.S.) 2001.

TABLE 1 DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE NEW VARIETY ‘EURZ0003’ AND SIMILARVARIETIES ‘EURZ0003’ ‘Fismars 339’ ‘Fismars Pink’ Bract color: Dark pink(RHS Red (RHS (Pink) RHS 51A) 185A) 55A

-   Plant:    -   -   Form, growth and habit.—Shrub, with the branches slanting            upright, good branching.        -   Plant height (inflorescence included).—25-30 cm.        -   Plant width.—40-50 cm.-   Roots:    -   -   Number of days to initiate roots.—18-20 days at about 24            degrees C.        -   Number of days to produce a rooted cutting.—24-26 days at 24            degrees C.        -   Type.—Fine, fibrous, free branching.        -   Color.—RHS N155B but whiter.-   Foliage:    -   -   Arrangement.—Alternate, 6-11 leaves per branch.        -   Immature, leaf color, upper surface.—Approximately RHS 147A.        -   Lower surface.—RHS 137B.        -   Mature, leaf color, upper surface.—RHS 147A.        -   Lower surface.—RHS 137B.        -   Length.—11-12 cm.        -   Width.—7.5-8.5 cm.        -   Shape.—Ovate, with almost no lobes.        -   Base shape.—Truncate to obtuse.        -   Apex shape.—Acuminate.        -   Margin.—Entire; lobes, when present mostly rounded.        -   Aspect.—Leaf blades are horizontally or slightly downwards            directed.        -   Texture, upper surface.—Smooth.        -   Lower surface.—Smooth, apart from the protruding veins.        -   Color of veins, upper surface.—RHS 144B and very light RHS            183D for the central vein at the base, turning to RHS 144B            towards the leaf tip.        -   Color of veins, lower surface.—RHS 147C, central vein RHS            183D fading towards the leaf tip.        -   Petiole color, upper surface.—RHS 187B-C.        -   Lower surface.—RHS 184B.        -   Length.—4.5 cm.        -   Diameter.—0.35 cm.        -   Aspect.—Horizontally to slightly upward directed.        -   Texture.—Glabrous.-   Stem:    -   -   Quantity of main branches per plant.—About 4 to 7.        -   Color of stem.—Mix of RHS 183D and RHS 147B.        -   Length of stem.—12-17cm.        -   Diameter.—0.6-0.8 cm.        -   Length of internodes.—1-2 cm.        -   Texture.—Glabrous.        -   Color of peduncle.—RHS 144B to RHS 144C.        -   Length of peduncle.—0.2-0.3 cm.        -   Peduncle diameter.—0.2 cm.        -   Texture.—Glabrous.-   Inflorescence:    -   -   Type.—Terminal cyme with surrounding whorl of colored            bracts.        -   Flowering, botanically (opening of the stamen, shedding of            pollen).—Late November.        -   Flowering, commercially (sufficiently colored bracts).—Mid            November.        -   Flowering response time.—About 7-7.5 weeks from equinox.        -   Duration of flowering.—Depends on light and environment, at            least 4-6 weeks of ‘shelf’ life.        -   Fragrance.—Absent.        -   Shape of inflorescence.—Rosette-like whorl, star-shaped;            bracts borne nearly horizontally to weakly funnel-shaped            (slanting upright); tight center.        -   Diameter of inflorescence.—30 cm.        -   Inflorescence, vertical diameter.—5-8 cm.        -   Number of completely colored bracts per inflorescence (sized            over 2 cm).—5-7.        -   Single bract, shape.—Ovate with relatively long, pointed            tips, without or with weak lobes.        -   Bract, apex.—Acuminate.        -   Bract, base.—Weakly rounded.        -   Single bract, length of blade.—Up to 13.5 cm, younger bracts            diminishing in size.        -   Single bract, width of blade.—7.5-11.5 cm.        -   Bract color, upper side.—Between RHS 51A and B.        -   Bract color, lower side.—RHS 51B and C.        -   Vein color, upper surface.—RHS 185A.        -   Vein color, lower surface.—Approximately RHS 51B.        -   Texture.—Weakly rugose, glabrous.        -   Bract petiole color, upper surface.—RHS 187B.        -   Bract petiole color, lower surface.—RHS 187C.        -   Bract petiole, length.—About 5.5 cm, shorter with younger            bracts.        -   Bract petiole diameter.—0.2-0.3 cm.        -   CYME (true inflorescence).—        -   Cyme, diameter.—1.7-2.0 cm.        -   Number of cyathia.—5, borne in a tight cluster.        -   Cyathium, shape.—Ovate.        -   Cyathium, diameter.—0.2-0.5 cm.        -   Cyathium, length.—0.5-0.7 cm.        -   Color.—RHS 144A with RHS 146A spots, top is RHS 53B-C.        -   Nectar cups.—Usually one per cyathium.        -   Nectur cup, width.—0.3-0.5 cm.        -   Nectar cup, color.—RHS 144C.-   Reproductive organs:    -   -   Stamen (actually reduced male florets).—Usually in a small            bunch of 5-10 at the top of the cyathium.        -   Shape.—Strap-like.        -   Filament length.—0.2 cm.        -   Filament color.—RHS 53B-C.        -   Anther color.—RHS 46A.        -   Anther diameter.—0.1 cm.        -   Pollen quantity.—Moderate (normal quantity).        -   Pollen color.—RHS 12A.        -   Female flowers.—Not yet observed.        -   Fertility/seed set.—Has not been observed on this plant.-   Disease/pest resistance Disease/pest resistance has not been    observed on this plant.

What is claimed is:
 1. A new and distinct variety of Poinsettia plantnamed ‘EURZ0003,’ substantially as illustrated and described herein.